One dog attacks another AFTER food

[TERRY VALENTINE]

We've temporarily taken in a blue heeler puppy that followed us home after the outer bands of Helene brought us a day and a half of rain and wind.  While we try to locate the owner (if there is one) we've been feeding him and incorporating him into the usual routines of walking, potty breaks, games and treats.  Our other two dogs are an 80lb husky mix and a young Australian Shepherd.  

The problem is that the Aussie attacks the blue heeler AFTER meals and treats, oddly enough.  Any attack is unacceptable but I would expect it to happen while food and treats are available (i.e., resource guarding) and not after they've all been eaten.  The husky is very mellow and has been uninvolved, but as he's also a slow eater I've wondered if Aussie is hoping for first dibs on any leftovers.   The two are not close to him (or even in the same room) however when the attacks happen so I'm not sure this is the reason.  

When it does happen I clap my hands and yell (which may just add to the chaos), and the Aussie breaks off the attack and faces me looking contrite; however she does not seem to understand that this behavior displeases me.   Feeding them in separate rooms is not practical (they both follow me wherever I carry the food, and both dive into the same bowl), and I'm still learning what signals to look for when an attack is imminent.  Do you know what's going on here, or how to head off an attack before it happens?  I've looked over the relevant articles but I'm afraid distracting her with more food will just delay the inevitable.   

[TERRY VALENTINE]

Update...I've been able to curtail the attacks by watching the Aussie after meals, games and treats and recognizing the "look" as she approaches the BH, and also the BH's posture and demeanor (i.e., he can tell what's coming).  As she approaches him I tell her "Be nice!" which distracts her; and I tell her again, and again if necessary until she's relaxed and whatever demonic urge she might have has passed.  Hopefully by breaking the habit she'll eventually forget that she ever did this.  In the meantime though the poor little guy scarfs down his food and then runs and hides, even if it means leaving food in his dish if she finishes before he does.

Otherwise they play and roughhouse a good part of the day, with the BH giving as good as he gets - which is part of what makes the attacks so odd.  I don't know how they can run around, wrestle and play tug-of-war all day and then assume attacker-victim roles only at specific times.  Talk about a toxic relationship...We're still hoping to either locate his people or place him soon, so maybe he won't be scarred for life.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there,

Sorry for the delay, things have been hectic lately!

Any time a new dog is added to a social group, there are high risks for squabbles or even serious fights. Very gradual introductions are needed over the course of several days and dogs should be kept separated when around resources such as food, toys etc. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/introduce-dog-new-dog/

The behavior sounds like a case of post-feeding aggression. This can be a form of resource guarding, even though it’s not happening directly around the food. The excitement around meals may linger, causing heightened arousal and, ultimately, aggression. After meals, your Aussie may still be in an elevated state and directing this residual tension toward the Blue Heeler, especially since they don’t have a well-established relationship yet.

It's important to feed them separately in their own area as the poor heeler needs to eat in peace and without fear following eating. You can try using baby gates or separate rooms, and only reintroduce them once they've finished eating but in a different area once they had a chance to calm down. You can also find it helpful to add a calming activity after meals to help your Aussie recover from the post-feeding arousal. A short walk or some quiet time in a separate space can allow her to reset before re-engaging with the Blue Heeler.

The long-term goal is to desensitize your Aussie to the presence of the Blue Heeler in post-meal situations. Gradually increase the amount of time they’re near each other without conflict, rewarding calm behavior. It can also help to implement strategies for general arousal control, such as teaching relaxation exercises (e.g., mat training) or practicing calm behavior in various scenarios to help your Aussie learn self-regulation. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/10-impulse-control-games-for-dogs/

Since these episodes happen after heightened excitement like meals or treats, your Aussie may be struggling to regulate her emotions in these moments. By providing structure and positive associations with relaxation, you should be able to reduce the likelihood of these attacks.

Keep up the great work with your observations, and I hope your Blue Heeler finds his home soon!

[TERRY VALENTINE]

The little blue has been rehomed, so we're back to being a 2-dog family.  Prior to this I did begin feeding them separately, the Aussie on the back porch and the bluey in the kitchen.  I also tried feeding the Aussie her food a spoonful at a time while making her "down," to establish that *I* control the food, not her, and kept them separated until all of the dogs had finished eating and the bowls were put away.  This did reduce the number of incidents but we still had a few more while he was with us.  I also stepped up the obedience training as there seemed to be a respect issue as well, given that she never pulled these stunts when my husband was feeding them. 

After a month+ with no owner coming forward I placed him with the family of a veterinary receptionist who had experience with blue heelers.  From the pics and videos they've sent it seems that he's in the best situation I could hope for. 

I will keep the above tips in mind however as I imagine we'll be fostering again, given the frequency of dumps in our area, and with a smaller dog it's likely that this behavior will resume.  I did come across a book on teaching dogs to regulate their own impulses, so we've been doing some target/mat training that hopefully we will have implemented before the real test comes.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi, thank you for the update, if the attacking episodes were happening also outside of the feeding context, then it's more difficult to prevent as we don't have clear predictors of when an attack is about to take place. I am glad that he found a good home! 

Yes, teaching obedience cues is important when having a multi-house household as it helps us gain better control, but dogs also live in a world of associations therefore it's important to also make good things happen when they are around each other, which is why I am a big fan of parallel walks, scent swaps (each pet is given something like a towel with the other dog's scent and pairing those with treats) and look at that exercises where dogs are fed treats for looking at each other. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/dog-to-dog-reactivity-my-indoor-closed-door-open-door-method/